GE2/Starship index
Military Ships Military ships are used for fighting, as the name suggests, and generally cost more than Economic or Diplomatic ships, in exchange for higher armor and attack. They also usually have poor cargo. Statistics displayed below are class averages; vessels can have higher values of speed, hitpoints, and damage, depending on design, and higher FTL, armour, and shield grades if the necessary expense is paid. These stats hold true for Kode-constructed vessels; for individual designs of galactic powers please refer to their ship rosters. Fighters FTL Grade: n/a Speed: 500 m/s Hitpoints: 500 Damage: 150 Armour grade: 0 (capped at 3) Shield grade: 0 (capped at 1) Cost: 500 Sporebucks Fighters have swung in and out of popularity for generations. Prior to the establishment of the Confederacy the ability to build cheap and fast vessels with a decent punch was in high demand. Since the Confederacy was rebuilt, however, and thousands of shipyards have been reactivated able to build larger and stronger ships fighter vessels have fallen somewhat out of favour in more advanced, capital-ship based fleets. Nonetheless they remain popular in the fleets of smaller powers and in the hands of pirate raiders. Fighters are marked out as having extremely high speeds and high damage-to-hitpoint ratios, even if the numbers are pathetically small. They are generally used in small-scale skirmishes or in massed formations against enemy capitals ships. Bombers FTL Grade: n/a Speed: 450 m/s Hitpoints: 600 Damage: 200 Armour grade: 0 (capped at 3) Shield grade: 0 (capped at 1) Cost: 700 Sporebucks It is often said the fighters only exist to give bombers and easier time. When you're at the heart of civilization that may hold true, but out on the fringes of law and order bombers are valuable parts of any fleet. They offer a bigger punch and have stronger armour than most fighters, and despite their slower speed they have reasonable survivability. Like fighters they are best employed in mass formations against enemy capital ships. Sweepers FTL Grade: 0 (capped at 1) Speed: 425 m/s Hitpoints: 700 Damage: 250 Armour grade: 0 (capped at 4) Shield grade: 0 (capped at 1) Cost: 850 Sporebucks Sweepers are relatively new on the galactic stage. Though the idea of an FTL-capable pseudo-corvette had been thought up by fringe worlds countless times it took the industrial capability of the Confederacy to allow intensive research into viable starship hulls that offered both the hyperspace capability and the ability for a higher number of armaments at minimal cost to prowess as a strike craft. Today the design is fairly common and a number of empires operate sweeper-class vessels when they are looking to make the transition between a fighter-based fleet to a corvette-, and later, capital-class fleet. Special weapon fighters FTL Grade: n/a Speed: 500 m/s Hitpoints: 400 Damage: 400 Armour grade: 0 (capped at 2) Shield grade: 0 (capped at 2) Cost: 700 Sporebucks Some empires are simply not content with investing in larger starship hulls when their heavy weapons can be adapted for a fighter-class chassis. The idea, in itself, is commendable: the attachment of powerful weapons to fighter chassis that allow the strength of the weapon to be employed from dozens of angles - and a critical failure in an advanced weapon system on one fighter by no means jeopardizes the rest of the squadron using the advanced weapon, as one might find on a frigate chassis outfitted with several turrets utilising the attack system. Of course there are downsides; so much space and mass must be diverted to the weapon that in order to maintain viable speeds armour must be shed. On the upside, the powerplants many advanced weapons require can be used to generate more powerful shields to suplement Corvettes FTL Grade: 0 (capped at 1) Speed: 350 m/s Hitpoints: 1000 Damage: 350 Armour grade: 0 (capped at 3) Shield grade: 0 (capped at 2) Cost: 1000 Sporebucks The hallmark of mid-level civilizations, corvettes have all the versatility and much of the resilience of larger ships classes transplanted onto a small and decently mobile chassis. Often supported by (or supporting) fleets of sweepers, corvettes pack enough punch to wound enemy capital ships and the speed to engage enemy strike craft. As one might expect, however, they can never be as good in both jobs as a specialised vessel would be in either. They still need to be put in mass formations to be able to effectively combat even single frigates, and their lower speed makes them not as capable as following enemy fighters into tight movements. Regardless they are such a versatile platform few fleets can afford to go without at least some corvette escorts. Frigates FTL Grade: 1 (capped at 3) Speed: 280 m/s Hitpoints: 4000 Damage: 800 Armour grade: 0 (capped at 4) Shield grade: 0 (capped at 2) Cost: 4500 Sporebucks Frigates are the smallest capital-class ship available and are often called the bigger brother of corvettes. The parallel is appropriate; frigates are some of the most cost-effective ships available, packing heavy punches regardless of which of the many available weapon systems have been mounted on the frigate chassis. Unfortunately frigates are vulnerable to their own success; their heavy cannons would be wasted on taking out tiny strike craft and are instead only useful at engaging other capital ships where all of the potential of their guns can be brought to bear. Regardless many star-nations have adapted their frigates to fire flak shells, which offer less damage potential but spread it out over a large area, damaging clusters of enemy fighters. Frigates are capable of operating for long periods in the depths of space, and as such are built to last. Countless frigates in use by star-nations today date centuries, some even being built prior to the establishment of the Confederacy. Destroyers FTL Grade: 2 (capped at 4) Speed: 250 m/s Hitpoints: 6500 Damage: 900 Armour grade: 1 (capped at 4) Shield grade: 0 (capped at 4) Cost: 6000 Sporebucks Destroyers are extremely popular on the battlefront. They are basically large frigates, and boast armour ratings and and firepower to match. Though not quite as omni-functional as a frigate chassis destroyers are more than able to combat anything that comes their way and any nation that can afford a squadron of such ships is set to win in most battles it faces. Of course they are far from the end of the spectrum in firepower, and even dozens of destroyers can prove useless in the face of a dreadnought or a heavy warfleet. Regardless they are a must-have for any nation that can afford them, and even a star-nation that can afford battlecruisers en masse will ensure it has a sizable force of destroyers to fall back on. Landing ships FTL Grade: 2 (capped at 4) Speed: 250 m/s Hitpoints: 8000 Damage: 600 Armour grade: 2 (capped at 5) Shield grade: 0 (capped at 4) Cost: 5000 Sporebucks Capacity: 40 fighters/bombers, 15 corvettes/sweepers, 40 boxes The carrier is often viewed with awe and respect, but there is much to be said for its little brother, the landing ship. Unlike their larger counterparts landing ships are capable of landing directly on a planet's surface and depositing a legion of troops and a complement of strike craft to support their conquest. They can then pull out quickly in the face of defeat or the successful pirating of resources and escape to friendly space. Naturally they need to be strong in the face of ground-based weapon systems and enemy blockades, and sport considerable armour that makes them reasonable in combat (but far from advisable choices). Battlecruisers FTL Grade: 3 (capped at 5) Speed: 200 m/s Hitpoints: 10000 Damage: 1000 Armour grade: 2 (capped at 5) Shield grade: 0 (capped at 5) Cost: 12000 Sporebucks Battlecruisers are, generally, the highest rank of vessels most fleets deploy. Beyond them the cost of research and developing a larger ship, let alone fielding it, is prohibitive. As such battlecruisers have to be dressed to impress, and without exception, they do. Packing enough punch to blow away most smaller ships with a single blast they are more than prepared to stand up in intense firefights and mop up the opposition. Able to be torn almost in half and yet still defeat enemy ships battlecruisers are extremely heavy-hitters, but must be protected accordingly; unless the fleets fielded are beyond belief it is vital that the most powerful ship is kept around to dish out the damage to the enemy fleet, for to lose a battlecruiser if you are a mid-power empire is to lose your strongest sword and shield. Service carriers FTL Grade: 3 (capped at 5) Speed: 210 m/s Hitpoints: 11000 Damage: 800 Armour grade: 2 (capped at 5) Shield grade: 0 (capped at 5) Cost: 12500 Sporebucks Capacity: 80 fighters/bombers, 40 sweepers/corvettes, 5 frigates Service carriers, or as they are more simply known, carriers, are typically fielded along with battlecruisers to offer both mutual support and to coordinate battlefield operations. Capable of carrying wings of strike craft onto the battlefield and holding damaged frigates safe away from enemy cannons, carriers are vital for moving fleets quickly across large empires and deploying rapid response groups to combat areas. That said it is unlikely most powers will ever need to construct more than a handful of carriers, partly because they are extremely versatile and partly because no commander would be willing to put a valuable carrier with only moderate offensive strength into a situation where it could be destroyed. Battleships FTL Grade: 3 (capped at 5) Speed: 180 m/s Hitpoints: 18000 Damage: 2500 Armour grade: 2 (capped at 5) Shield grade: 0 (capped at 5) Cost: 20000 Sporebucks The progression from mid-power to great-power on the galactic stage is generally marked with the launch of a battleship. More powerful than a battlecruiser a battleship can stand up against intense bombardment and offer massive attrition to enemy forces. As such they are often marked out as primary targets for enemy fleets, as left unchecked they can wipe out squadrons of frigates and destroyers with sickening ease. Generally the only counter for a battleship is another battleship, or a fleet of smaller ships so large it becomes cost-ineffective to construct and repair after the fallen battleship leaves its inevitable mark. Dreadnoughts FTL Grade: 4 (capped at 7) Speed: 150 m/s Hitpoints: 30000 Damage: 5000 Armour grade: 3 (capped at 7) Shield grade: 1 (capped at 7) Cost: 50000 Sporebucks It is thought that fewer than a dozen dreadnoughts currently operate in known space. They are obscenely well-armoured and have the ability to vaporise entire frigates with a single blast from one of their vast mass-driver cannons or plasma relays. Not since the days of the Order has a dreadnought been lost in combat, but then again they've barely had the chance; dreadnoughts have been reported seeing action only seven times in the history of the Confederacy, and have never taken more than token damage. Part of their success stems from the fact that whilst the enemy is desperately trying to eat through the dreadnought's massive armour, his forces are slowly being destroyed by dreadnought's mighty arsenal and the guns of the dreadnought's escort fleet. Even then that does not make them invulnerable, and commanders with a dreadnought as their flagship should remain every bit as cautious as they would without one. Supercarriers FTL Grade: 4 (capped at 7) Speed: 250 m/s Hitpoints: 25000 Damage: 1250 Armour grade: 3 (capped at 6) Shield grade: 2 (capped at 6) Cost: 45000 Sporebucks Capacity: 500 fighters/bombers, 300 sweepers/corvettes, 50 frigates When it comes to sustained offensives nothing matches the supercarrier in terms of ability. Able to hold thousands of crewmen and soldiers supercarriers can operate independently for decades at a time, replenishing the losses of their fleet with their huge internal foundries and offering decent offensive capability. With such power supercarriers are second only to dreadnoughts in terms of utility in a battle, and are even more useful off the battlefield, capable of transporting fleets across empires faster than any other mode of FTL travel apart from Linkgates. It is no surprise, therefore, that supercarriers are often designated as 'motherships' for empires, capable of radically increasing a star-nations flexibility, power, and prestige. But with one of the lowest damage-to-hitpoint ratios of the entire fleet, there can be no doubt that a star-nation does not want such an asset left unprotected. Category:Projects GE2 Category:Projects Category:GE2